Awning-roller support



J. C. WILLIAMS. AWNING ROLLER SUPPO'RT.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 1, 1919.

Patehted July 13, 1920.

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INL E NTEIFL- RTTIII RNE Y.

WITNE E SE 5.

PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN C. WILLIAMS, F WARWOOD, WEST VIRGINIA.

AWNING-ROLLER SUPPORT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 13, 1920.

Application filed December 1, 1919. Serial No. 341,751.

i To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, Jean C. lVILmAMs, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of lVarwood, county of Ohio and State of West Virginia, have invented cer tain new and useful Improvements in Awning-Roller Supports, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates broadly to awning fixtures, and more particularly to a center support for roller awnings.

The primary object of the invention is to provide acenter support for roller awnings which is so constructed that, when the awning is raised or lowered, the lower rollers travel in lateral directions throughout a considerable distance for distributing throughout a relatively large area the wear on the canvas of the awning.

As heretofore constructed, the center supports of roller awnings have uniformly had their lower rollers so disposed that they at all times directly oppose the upper roller and that their travel is always upon a vertically extending portion of the canvas having a width substantially corresponding to the length of said lower rollers. This results in subjecting a narrow vertical strip of the awning canvas to excessive wear, such strip portion being nearly always the first to re quire renewal or repair.

As hereinbefore indicated, it is the main object of the present invention to eliminate the excessive wear produced in the manner described by providing a construction of center support by which the wear is distr1buted over a considerable area of the canvas rather than only over a narrow strip thereof.

In describing the invention in detail, reference is herein had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of the invention;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same;

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of a fragmentary portion of the frame, showing the channel in which the adjustable support for the upper roller is received;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the same Fig. 5 is a top plan view of an end portion of the worm shafts; and- Fig. 6 is a transverse section of one of the lower rollers.

. Referring to said drawings, in which like deslgnating characters distinguish like parts throughout the several views 1 indicates a supporting frame of generally rectangular form adapted for mountingupon a wall or other like surface and having a forwardly extending bracket-like arm 2 at each of its opposite ends adjacent to the lower part thereof. Rigidly mounted in'said arms 2 are the opposite ends of two horizontal worm shafts 3 and t which are disposed parallel to each other and which preferably occupy an approximately horizontal plane. Said worm shafts have the threads thereof lying in reverse directionsthat is to say, one of said shafts carries a right hand thread and the other thereof carries a left hand thread. Mounted for travel on said shafts 3 and 4 are wooden rollers 5 and 6 each of which has a metal bushing 7 threaded to correspond with its shaft, said rollers being relatively located on said shafts so that when they are actuated to rotate in the same direction, as when an awning roller resting thereon is being raised or lowered, they will travel in reverse directions and pass each other at 'or near a midway point in the lengths of said shafts.

Carried by the upper part of said frame midway between the ends of the latter is a forwardly and downwardly inclined supporting arm 8 which is yoke-shaped or bifurcated at its front end to provide horizon tally alined bearings or supports for the ends of a spindle 9 upon which a roller 10 is rotatably mounted. Said roller overhangs and is adapted to cooperate with the sup porting rollers 5 and 6 for retaining in place on the latter an intermediate portion of an awning roller in substantially the manner of the rollers of the usual center supports.

The supporting arm 8 is preferably ar ranged for adjustment on the frame 1 to provide for adjustment of the retaining roller 10 with respect to the supporting rollers 5 and 6, said arm having an approximately rectangular slide member 11 mounted to be vertically slidable in a vertical channel 12 formed in the rear face of a member 13 of the frame. One or more threaded holes 14 are provided in said slide 11 for the reception of the threaded ends of one or more adjusting screws or bolts 15 ing roller are thereby rotated either forward or rearward, according as the awning is being lowered or raised, and are consequently actuated to travel along the shafts 3 and 4: in

opposite directions, the distance of travel depending, first, upon the width of the awning, and, second, upon the pitch of the threads formed on said shafts. Obviously, therefore, the Wear to which the canvas of the awning is projected is distributed over an area of canvas having a width equal to the distance traversed by said traveling rollers, and is not confined, as ordinarily, to a relatively narrow strip of a width equal to the length of the supporting rollers.

What. is claimed is '1. A center support for roller awnings,

comprising parallel-worm shafts, and supporting rollers mounted for travel on said shafts. I

2. A center support for roller awnings, comprising parallel worm shafts of opposite pitch, and supporting rollers mounted for travel in reverse directions along said shafts.

3, A center support for roller awnings, comprising parallel shafts, supporting roll ers mounted for travel on said shafts, said shafts having materially greaterlength than said rollers, and a retaining roller overhanging said shafts at a pointsubstantially midway between the ends of the latter.

4s. A center support for roller awnings,

comprising parallel worm shafts having the rections on said shafts, and a retaining,

roller overhanging said shafts at a point substantially midway between the ends of the latter.

Intestimony whereof, I aflix my signature in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN G. WILLIAMS.

Witnesses G. 0. SMITH, H. E. DUNLAP. 

